NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
While Daniel Jones is thriving with the 8-2 Indianapolis Colts, his replacement in New York is already undergoing his first head coaching change just 10 games into the season.
Jaxson Dart and the rest of the New York Giants will finish the 2025 season without head coach Brian Daboll, who was fired after yet another late-game collapse by the team – this time in a 24-20 loss to the Chicago Bears on the road.
Mike Kafka, the team’s offensive coordinator, has been named interim head coach, while general manager Joe Schoen is already leading the search for a replacement for Daboll next year and beyond.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) warms up before an NFL football game between the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Dill Butch)
Daboll’s situation mirrors the one Jones found himself in last year, when the Giants released him during a roller coaster season that ultimately led to him coming back in the first round and selecting Dart out of Ole Miss in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Jones, after a brief stint in Minnesota with the Vikings, won the quarterback battle in Indianapolis and hasn’t looked back since. But given that he was once a young quarterback trying to find his way with the Giants, might he have some advice for Dart, who will already have a second head coach as he begins his own career?
“I don’t know Jaxson personally,” Jones told PK Press Club Digital, while also discussing his work with FedEx’s “Power Move” campaign during the bye week. “I’ve heard great things about him and a lot of people in New York have really enjoyed working with him and playing with him. I think he’s played really well this year and I’m looking forward to watching him.
DANIEL JONES TRAINED ALL VIKINGS FOR THEIR WORK IN PREPARING FOR THE ADMISSION OF THE WORRYING GIANTS
“As far as advice goes, I think he’ll understand. He played very well. As long as he continues to work and play the way he plays, I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
Jones may not know Dart personally, but he recognizes his successor’s talent, as does the rest of the NFL. It’s been hard to ignore what Dart has done since he was named the starter over Russell Wilson in Week 4, which resulted in the team’s first win of the season against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Dart threw for 1,417 yards with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions with a 62.7% completion rate, while also showing off his rushing ability. He has seven rushing touchdowns this season, leading all quarterbacks. In fact, only four players in the entire NFL have faster scores.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) leaves the field after an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
But one of those points proved costly in Chicago, as Dart suffered a concussion that knocked him out of the game prematurely. He will not play this Sunday at home against the Green Bay Packers, as Kafka has already named Jameis Winston as the team’s starter for the contest.
Then again, Jones doesn’t care what kind of tumultuous season the Giants are currently going through. He leads the NFL in passing yards through 10 weeks as he and star running back Jonathan Taylor set the tone with an explosive offense that has stifled opponents thus far. The Colts sit comfortably atop the AFC South at 8-2, and Jones may have found his next long-term home – provided he stays put given his 2026 free agent status.
“As far as advice goes, I think he’ll understand. He played very well. As long as he continues to work and play the way he plays, I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
However, Jones knows what Dart is going through as a first-round quarterback in one of the toughest media markets in professional sports.
In 2019, Jones was already ruled out by some Giants fans before getting the chance to prove himself with Duke. He did nothing but keep his head down, work hard and give his best, even when the results weren’t there.
It also saw Pat Shurmur get fired after his rookie year, Joe Judge was shown the door ahead of the 2022 campaign and now Daboll gets the boot around the same time Jones was released in 2024.
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart reacts after scoring a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
The NFL, like any professional sports league, can be a tough business, and the Giants have certainly endured their share of struggles since their last Super Bowl title in 2012. The glass is half full is that Dart has the potential to be the franchise quarterback for years to come, while young pieces on both sides of the ball are in place.
Jones will be watching from afar now, but since he still has friends in New York, there are no ill wishes on his part. It’s just not his nature.
As he did in New York, Jones will work with his Colts teammates and coaches in hopes of continuing their progression toward the playoffs and a possible run to the Super Bowl. It remains to be seen what the future holds for him in his old stomping grounds.
THE POWER MOVES WITH FEDEX
Jones flew right back from Berlin, Germany, after a win against the Atlanta Falcons and got straight to work with FedEx on its “Power Move” campaign. When asked what his power move would be right now, he replied: “Get the ball to Jonathan Taylor now.”
Taylor was just nominated for the fourth time this season for the FedEx Air$Ground NFL Awards program, the fan-voted award in its 23rd year. Jones is a big fan of the program, which celebrates the NFL’s best performances around the league every week, and it’s not just for quarterbacks. Running backs, tight ends and wide receivers are also eligible, but it’s hard not to root for Taylor, who had another three-touchdown game on the road.
“He was on fire,” Jones said of Taylor. “It seems like every week he shows up and dominates the week before and is super, super consistent for us running the ball. Those explosive runs, especially in the second half when we get into these games, we kind of carried them on him, he finds a seam and pops one up. I think the offensive line obviously deserves a lot of credit with that stuff too. But he’s been incredible, so I’ll definitely be pulling for him. He has my vote for FedEx Ground Player of the Year, which I know. they’re doing it again this year.”
